


The Path

by gayreclinetime



Category: Samurai Jack (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Ending, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Father-Daughter Relationship, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-22
Updated: 2017-05-22
Packaged: 2018-11-03 13:38:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10968354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gayreclinetime/pseuds/gayreclinetime
Summary: And all of this made him realize that Ashi was possibly even more alone than he had been, left out in such a confusing, chaotic world with nothing. It made him realize what she needed was a mentor and a friend.





	The Path

**Author's Note:**

> an alternate ending/rewrite of the last three episodes of samurai jack. the episode proceeds mostly as it had except for the like.. obvious alterations you see in the fic

## XCIX

     Jack notices a great deal of curious things about Ashi as they travel together. He’d noticed things about her that were strange before, when at first, she still seemed set on killing him. He does appreciate that she seems to have moved on from that goal; it’s good to have help, company, on his journey again, after being alone for so long. After convincing himself that’s what he had deserved.

     But Ashi was a great comfort, and a great help. Capable in a fight, and undoubtedly resilient- so much so to the point where Jack had to urge or remind her to eat, drink, sleep when it was her turn (they slept in shifts). Jack recalls how she beat an entire army on her own, with nothing but her own two hands, and he can’t help but wonder how someone so young could fight so viciously, and push their body so much. He can’t help but wonder how anybody so young could be sent out, with the rest of their company, who like them are so young, on what was surely a suicide mission. Sent out to fight or die.

     He still thinks about the other six, though he doesn’t mention any of them to Ashi, who in turn doesn’t mention them to him. Though the cruel shape of anger that used to blind him is gone, he still thinks about what he had said. What _he_ had did. They were real flesh and blood, real humans, just as much as he or Ashi were, and one after another he’d taken each of their lives. More than once now he’s closed his eyes and felt his hand swing the knife, cut through the flesh of the neck. Seen the girl laying down dead, her face so much like Ashi’s.

     He wants to tell himself that it’s not his fault. It’s not his fault, and he didn’t know (though that only excuses the first one, if he can call it that). It’s not his fault and if he had yielded, he would have been killed. He still has to complete his quest, especially when now, for the first time in so long, it seems to finally be within reach again. He cannot let his home and his family die.

 

     He does, still, experience such horrible visions of his past. Some are still gruesome, but ever since his encounter with the Gods, they are less frequent, a little more manageable. Having company serves to distract him, Ashi’s curiosity about the world is obvious- almost insatiable- particularly whenever they leave less densely-populated cities and living complexes and come across jungles, forests, even deserts. She asks him more about his stories, wanting to know how everything is made; the sand, the sea, the sky above them with all the clouds, the different creatures around them. Some questions Jack can’t answer, but others he can seem to recall a story to satisfy her with. Some he’d even forgotten he had heard, put to pass them along, as his mother did, feels so natural.

     Through this time they have together, traveling along such a vast land together, this is where he realizes what’s bothered him about Ashi. She is so curious, to the point of being almost clueless. He remembers her trying to tell him Aku had made the stars, that he must’ve been the only one to shape the world into its untainted beauty. The way she’d spoken of it too, swinging from that tree branch, _You will die and Aku will sing_ , Jack had never heard of the demon spoken in such a way. In all the time he’d been in this strange future, both enemies and allies had different ways of looking at him; there was obviously the more rebellious, dedicated to being a thorn in his side at least, and then there were those afraid of him- beaten into submission by such fear. There were those who wanted to believe in the empty promises he made, and then there were those who just wanted his money. And then of course there were the minions he had created, either built of his own evil or engineered around it. But what Ashi spoke of was none of this- it was reverence. Blind, almost infallible reverence, and that was something he had not seen before.

     And all of this made him realize that Ashi was possibly even more alone than he had been, left out in such a confusing, chaotic world with nothing. It made him realize what she needed was a mentor and a friend.

 

* * *

 

     They’re in the desert together, sun beating down, when Ashi turns to talk to him suddenly.

 

     “Jack,” She says, cautiously. “Can I ask you something?”

 

     “Of course, what is it?”

 

     He can tell something heavy is weighing on her mind, the way she almost doesn’t quite look at him, fingers absently shifting through the sand. “Your journey, your… mission… you’ve met a lot of people. You’ve helped them.”

 

     Jack nods. “Yes.”

 

     “Did you ever meet anybody who seemed like… like they were beyond saving?”

 

     It’s clear she is supposed to be the hypothetical lost cause in this question, and Jack wonders how long this must have been troubling her. He feels slightly negligent for not noticing earlier, so preoccupied with regaining his sword, continuing his quest, he had not considered his traveling companion. “There are few truly beyond saving, Ashi. I have met men- even ferocious monsters- who had realized the errors of their ways and tried to make amends.”

 

     She nods, but does not seem entirely convinced. Jack hesitates, but then moves to put his hand on her shoulder, continues, “I told you that the sword left me because I had lost my way. I let my anger and my hopelessness blind me, and I lost sight of my mission- and the decisions I made caused me to stray from the path I needed to follow.” She turns to face him now- a good sign- and Jack tries to smile in an effort to encourage her. “It is never too late to choose your own path, Ashi. What matters now is what you choose to do next.”

 

     Ashi smiles back at him, small and just a little bit uncertain, but it seems like she’s allowed his words to be taken somewhat to heart. She opens her mouth to say something when a harsh gust of wind blows sand all around them, causing her to cough. Both of them quickly rise to their feet, trying to shield their mouths and eyes from the onslaught of sand. Jack tries to yell over the noise, suggesting they find shelter, and it seems they’re both on the same train of thought. Far in the distance, there is a great black shape that can be made out behind the cloud of sand. Both move towards it in hope of cover.

 

* * *

 

     Suddenly, thankfully, Jack can breathe. He tries to hoist himself up as the shrivelled bodies of the dead creatures fall off him, into the charred pile of the rest of the little monsters that had engulfed him and Ashi moments before. Jack drops the disc of the weapon he’d finally managed to activate and focuses on breathing, in and out, and looks to see if Ashi is alright. She’s not on her feet yet, but she’s clearly conscious and breathing, and doesn’t seem gravely injured from what he can tell. Both of them are dirty, with holes in their clothing, but alive.

 

     “Ashi,” Jack goes over to her, tries to help her up slowly. “Are you alright? Can you stand?”

 

     She nods, and slowly but surely gets to her feet. Both of them are still breathing fairly hard, simply looking at each other. Ashi makes a bizarre noise, something like a halted sigh, or a snort, and then all of a sudden she starts to laugh. Not with any spite or bitterness; just a fully-belly laugh, that makes her shake so much she nearly falls over again. Jack for one moment is worried she still might be poisoned, but after a moment it dies down to a few sporadic bursts of laughter.

 

     “I can’t believe you almost died _again_ ,” She says. “At the last minute! Does this happen to you every day?”

 

     “No.” He says, and then thinking on it, corrects, “Maybe.” He can’t help but smile as she laughs again.

 

     “You smell terrible,” She makes a point to sniff the air, and then immediately plugs her nose, face the picture of regret. “Oh- So do I.”

 

     “I think we have both deserved a bath,” He says, letting go now that he’s sure she’s fine. “But perhaps… you should look for new clothes. I don’t think I can mend leaves very well.”

  
     She looks down at herself, grimacing at what’s become of her dress, and nods. Both of them agree to meet outside, at the back of the prison, and camp for the night. Jack picks a leech out of his gi and searches for the exit.

**Author's Note:**

> this will be multi-chapter but im afraid i have no set update schedule. i hope you enjoy! this is my first time writing for this franchise, but ive loved it since i was a kid and wanted to give a little more character-focused ending. and sorry this chapter was so short, i expect the others to be longer


End file.
